United Nations S/2019/61

Security Council Distr.: General 18 January 2019

Original: English

Identical letters dated 18 January 2019 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

I am writing to set the record straight and shed light upon the false accusations against Israel in the context of the defensive measures that Israel has taken in the north of the country to curb the mounting threats that Hizbullah, the Iranian proxy, poses to Israel’s security and sovereignty. Those false accusations were designed to divert the conversation away from Hizbullah’s acts of aggression on both the Israeli and Lebanese sides of the Blue Line. Israel has taken protective steps to curb the very real threats that Hizbullah presents, such as the terrorist organization’s construction of terror attack tunnels from Lebanon into sovereign Israel. Israel has always taken such defensive measures on its side of the Blue Line, when its security and sovereignty are questioned. Israel’s actions starkly contrast Hizbullah’s aggressive acts of terror that violate Israel’s sovereignty, the Blue Line and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). At the meeting of the Security Council, on 19 December 2018, I presented member States with recently declassified information that revealed Hizbullah’s grand plan to take control of the Israeli Galilee. As part of its strategy, Hizbullah has, inter alia, constructed at least six in southern Lebanon that cross into Israel underneath the Blue Line in order to conduct terror attacks. The tunnels clearly and unambiguously threaten Israel and violate its sovereignty. Moreover, as senior officials of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and several Security Council member States have confirmed, the tunnels are a breach of resolution 1701 (2006). In the face of those threats, Israel launched Operation Northern Shield, a protective measure to secure its northern border and ensure the safety of its citizens. The operation took place solely on Israel’s side of the Blue Line. To date, Israel has uncovered and is working to neutralize six Hizbullah terror attack tunnels. Hizbullah’s modus operandi has become clear. Backed by Iran, Hizbullah continues to establish its military presence throughout southern Lebanon, in the areas in which UNIFIL is deployed, and in towns and villages. By using private properties as bases for its military and terrorist activities, Hizbullahis able to shield its actions from scrutiny. With the conclusion of Operation Northern Shield, Israel is continuing its ongoing efforts to counter the threat of Hizbullah above ground by building a physical land barrier entirely on the Israeli side of the Blue Line. In this context, I recall the statement by the president of the Security Council of 18 June 2000 (S/PRST/2000/21),

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confirming Israel’s full withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the south of the Blue Line. Israel has completed approximately 11 km of this defensive barrier and will continue this essential construction. Contrary to the false accusations, Israel’s construction of this barrier is both entirely warranted and justified, considering Hizbullah’s real and physical threats, along with the inability of the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL to prevent those actions. Moreover, contrary to certain claims, the construction of Israel’s security barrier on its side of the Blue Line is no surprise. Israel has repeatedly informed all of the relevant parties, including those within the framework of the tripartite mechanism, of its intention to build this physical land barrier to prevent the real and concrete threat posed by Hizbullah. Israel, once again, stresses that it does not wish for any escalation to take place along the Blue Line. Recent actions by Israel – destroying the terror attack tunnels and constructing the land barrier on the Israeli side of the Blue Line – are purely defensive measures with the clear purpose of protecting its citizens. Israel, as any sovereign nation, has both the prerogative and the duty to defend its people. In this context, Israel will continue to take the necessary protective measures unhindered, so long as the threat of Hizbullah remains an unchecked reality. The State of Lebanon and the Lebanese Army have a clear responsibility to preserve calm, prevent provocation and stop the illegal and destabilizing activities of Iran and Hizbullah in the region. UNIFIL must uphold its mandate robustly, to the fullest extent possible, in line with Security Council resolutions 1701 (2006), 2373 (2017) and 2433 (2018), to prevent hostile activities of any kind in its area of operation and ensure that no armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and UNIFIL are found in the area of its deployment. As stated in resolution 2433 (2018), the Security Council must be provided with prompt and detailed reports on the restrictions to the freedom of movement of UNIFIL, as well as reports on specific areas where UNIFIL does not have access and on the reasons behind those restrictions. UNIFIL must also provide Security Council members with full, accurate and detailed reports on all situations in which it is barred from taking action to fulfil its mandate. I should be grateful if you would have the present letter distributed as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Danny Danon Ambassador Permanent Representative

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